Quote:
Originally Posted by emilyteacake
To be honest, I think this debate really crystallises the whole issue very nicely - there is way too much conflicting information, way too much 'advice' and way too many products shoved down our throats at every stage of pre-conception, pregnancy, birth and motherhood.
We're overwhelmed, confused and very vulnerable when we become mums for the first time, and there are people out there who want to take advantage of it. Most of it is to do with marketing, and lining someone else's pocket with our hard earned cash.
Why can't we just be left alone to forget all the hype, look at our beautiful babies and give them what they need - (breast)milk, love and our very best attention x
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Fab post Emilyteacake.
To address the conflicting information thing which you are so right about. It would take a concerted effort and investment to train midwives, paeds, HVs, neo-natal nurses and any other bod who frequently come into contact with pregnant and new mothers to get them to sing from the same song sheet on the fundamentals of breastfeeding and to be able to recognise more tricky cases which are slightly or more complex and refer them on to more qualified staff.
At the moment medical students get about 6 hrs or so of training on breastfeeding and the first 3 hours of that is on the anatomy of the breast.
They may do some internship on the maternity wards where a lot of breastfeeding myths are passed on by midwives who do not have to update their breastfeeding knowledge after gaining their midwifery qualification. The breastfeeding training is also very basic and short - can't remember how short at the moment - and even at the lecture stage sometimes delivered by people whose breastfeeding knowledge is woeful then they move to the wards where again, myths abound.
Same scenario with health visitors. It is no wonder that so many women give up breastfeeding earlier than they planned to. When the poor knowledge of medical staff is combined with our normal trust in what health care professionals tell us it is, sadly, a lethal combination for breastfeeding.
You also rightly say that many people from pre-conception to dunno when they leave home(?) are out to dig their hands into our pockets. I think all a newborn needs are clean nappies, (breast) milk, a blanket for when it is cold and a sling to keep them close. Every thing else, materially, is extra.